Mondays are my absolute favorite days of the week. Hear me out, I know it’s controversial. My social media feeds are buried under the barrage of downer Monday memes too. I grew up listening to the Bangle’s Manic Monday on repeat. No matter, there’s just something about the beginning of things that I find exceptionally motivating & inspiring.
It turns out I’m not alone and this is an actual psychological phenomenon, quantified and first introduced into behavioral science literature by Dai, Milkman, and Riis (2014).
The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior | Management Science
Are You Ready for a Fresh Start? (Replay) – Freakonomics
The “Fresh Start” for me doesn’t have to be calendar based. My favorite part of a project is always the beginning. I love the preparation, the planning, the defining of what we are doing and why. At this stage the project stretches out ahead of me like a river of opportunity, flowing smoothly over any rocks or obstacles that may get in our way. All parties are positive, excited, and anxious to start forward together hand-in-hand towards mutual success.
The penultimate “Fresh Start” this time of year is of course, the New Years resolution; a practice that dates back thousands of years to the ancient Babylonians. It’s estimated that 45% of Americans make resolutions, yet only 8% successfully achieve their goals. I’ve definitely made and missed my fair share over the years. But no matter my personal success rate, it’s a practice that brings me joy each January.
The History of New Year’s Resolutions | HISTORY
As a student of many SMART goal training sessions, I’d typically limit myself to 3-5 resolutions, but not this year! This year, I’m taking a different and more expansive approach. Inspired by Gretchin Rubin’s example, I’ve written a “25 for 2025 List”, all things I’d like to accomplish, experience, try and enjoy throughout the year. It’s also a list that touches on things that interest me – running, reading, gardening, serving – things you’ll see me thinking & writing about in this Blog on the regular. (Hey, check out #3, done!) I hope you’ll keep me accountable along the way.
“25 for 2025” List | Gretchen Rubin
#Resolution
Context Matters 
Leave a comment